


I'll check in tomorrow (if I don't wake up dead)

by VolxdoSioda



Series: Whumptober 2018 (Complete) [7]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Blind!Ignis, Day 7 - Kidnapping, M/M, Older!Gladio, Whumptober, older!Ignis, young!noctis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 02:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16232129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolxdoSioda/pseuds/VolxdoSioda
Summary: Before House Scientia were retainers and chamberlains, they were assassins, and they were bred for the art of killing.Before House Amicitia were bodyguards and Shields, they were hunters, and they were bred for the art of tracking.Nobody seems to remember this until Noctis gets kidnapped.





	I'll check in tomorrow (if I don't wake up dead)

The thing nobody seems to want to remember about House Scientia; before they became advisers and chamberlains for the King and all the little Princes and Princesses, they were assassins. That generations upon generations of genes made for stealth, for fast kills and faster movement, lie in their blood. That their quicksilver minds and silver tongues come from times when charm and negotiation were part of the hunt - they had to get close to the target somehow, and easy vantage points or dumb openings in walls weren't always available.

Another thing nobody seems to want to remember, this time about House Amicitia; before they were bodyguards, they were trackers and hunters. They could pinpoint the location of a target, know which way it would move by things like weather and terrain. Few were the times in history when an Amicitia went hungry, even if they were left destitute and homeless, and few were the times friends of Amicitias were left hunger either. 

He and Gladiolus have rich histories on their shoulders, and both of them are well aware of this. They know each other's strengths, their weaknesses, and how to mesh together to become a perfect unit.

King Regis is aware of this as well. And so when Prince Noctis, age seven, is kidnapped in broad daylight, a gun to his temple as he's shoved into a car and driven away in a screech of smoke and tires, he calls for Ignis and Gladio even as the Council argues about what to do.

"Find him," is all he says, all he really has to say. They both bow, because even when Scientia were assassins and Amicitia were hunters, they served the King still. "And bring me the heads of those who hurt him."

And he will be hurt, Ignis knows. Prince Noctis has a very high bounty on his head, and Regis has many enemies. The people who took Noctis, ill-mannered brutes they are, will want to take advantage of both of those things. But it depends on how fast they are able to find him that will say how much hurt their darling Prince must bear.

He and Gladiolus exchange a wordless look on the way out the door.  Blind through he may be, it has never stopped Ignis Scientia from finding his chosen target. Not when his hands seek his wayward Prince, nor when his blades howl for blood. 

"Hey Ig?"

"Yes?"

"I'm gonna snap their fucking necks when I find them."

"Just so long as you save some for me."

"Course."

That settled, they go to gather maps of the region, and footage from the camera that captured the incident, and begin their task.

 

_**0-0-0-0-0-0-0** _

 

Noctis has definitely had better days. 

Heck, compared to now, this morning's school tests don't seem so bad, or even the lecture on history he was scheduled to have. In fact, he'd rather be in a review period of any of those things than right here, trying his best to fight down the terror inside him at the feeling of a gun muzzle against the back of his head. 

His attackers, masked, are arguing about what to do with him. Apparently, one part of the group has changed their minds - originally, they were going to tie him to a chair and torture him and film it because of something his dad's done. But now they're saying how they would get more money if they blackmailed the king, or if they just killed him. Because apparently someone has this thing called a 'bounty' on his head - from what Noctis is grasping, it means someone will offer them money for his death. 

The thought scares him. He knows Ignis would have soothing words for him if he were here, and Gladio would tell him that fear is natural and it means his brain's working right, but right now all he can think of is the expression on the faces of his tutor - helpless and fearful as a gun was pulled and put to Noctis' head, with orders not to follow them. 

And yeah, Noctis has had childhood daydreams of being super strong and beating back anyone who would hurt him or his dad - what kid hasn't, really? - but this is different. He's not super strong, he's only just started his training with Gladio, and he's not super smart like Ignis so he can't talk his way out of this. All he can do is keep his head down and listen to the sharp words being thrown about like Ignis' daggers, and hope they don't kill him.

"Fine!" One voice snaps at last. "Then what the fuck do you suppose we do, huh?" The muzzle of the gun is pulled away from his head, which makes it a little easier to breathe, even if he's still locked up, terrified in his restraints.

"Ain't it obvious?" There's a sharp, metallic  _click_ and Noctis can't stop the little gasp that escapes as a blade of an especially sharp knife is pressed against his cheek. His legs quiver, and he goes to lean away, but the man won't let him. "His old man's responsible for Lily's death, ain't he? So we pay him back, blood for blood."

The knife digs in, and Noctis cries out, tries to escape. They hold him firm though, even as he screams and fights. They go from one side of his face to the other, and Noctis is left breathless by the pain by the time the knife is pulled away. He's backhanded harshly a second later, and he nearly hits cement. He can feel his own blood dripping down his face, but he's helpless to do anything with his hands as bound as they are.

"Piece of shit," someone sneers. "Guess royal blood's not all it's cracked up to be."

A foot lashes out, catching him in the ribs, and he screams again. He knows from Uncle Cor that giving any reaction to torture is a bad idea, but it just hurts  _so much._

"Pathetic."

"Careful, you idiot, what if you kill 'em?"

Noctis tries to crawl away, but a hand seizes his ankle and drags him across the concrete. He's tossed into a cell, the door slammed shut behind him, leaving him in complete darkness.

"Keep 'im in there 'til it's time. And once you're done with the video, do whatever you want."

That doesn't sound good. Noctis can't stop the tears from coming as his fear finally bubbles over, and sharp pain in his chest only adding to it all. 

He wants to go home. He wants Ignis or Gladio or Cor or his dad to save him. Anyone.

_Please, don't let me die here._

 

_**0-0-0-0-0-0-0** _

 

If there's any amount of praise Ignis can offer to child-snatching scum, it is this - they don't make this job easy. They obviously are aware of the level of competency behind the protections afforded to the crown royal, and have taken every measure to try to hide themselves away. To that, Ignis offers them a tip of his hat.

For everything else however, all he gives is a sharp slice to the throat.

They find the spot the cowards have dug for themselves nearly five hours after Noctis' initial kidnapping. By this point, all the major newstations have been made aware of what's gone on, and Regis has gone to head off the questions with Clarus and Cor. 

Ignis and Gladio however are heading in the opposite direction. Out towards the mountains in a discreet car. The trip is silent, Gladio's driving utterly impeccable, giving no indication towards the sheer amounts of rage the man is giving off. It probably helps that Ignis has a hand on his knee, keeping him steady with touch. In his mind, Ignis cuts down those who stand between him and Noctis, and he thinks of what he might come across. They've come prepared - Potions, Elixirs, Antidotes, Remedies, and Phoenix Downs. Blankets, food, camping supplies in case they need to make fast tracks and vanish off the grid for a time. Permission to use King Regis' personal Amiger for weapons and evidence removal - the King wants no trace left of what has happened here today.

Which is why Ignis has three magical fira flasks sitting in his lap, ready to go. By the time they're done here today, there will be no warehouse up in the mountains, a previous storage spot for vehicles coming up to see Mount Ravatogh, because they weren't allowed past a certain point. The arson will be blamed on a minor eruption, or perhaps on a drunken fight gotten out of hand, or a suicide pact that went too far. It isn't up to them to spin the stories - only to find and reclaim Noctis, and get him home safely. 

And that much is certainly in their repertoire.

The car slows, bumps for a bit as it ascends, and then stops. "We're here," Gladio says. "Time to go to work."

"Indeed," Ignis says lightly, and calls his blades to hand.

 

_**0-0-0-0-0-0-0** _

 

The men hurt him a lot - it isn't always the same person, but Noctis knows three of the men come back to his cell at least twice to put scars in his skin with knives or kick him around. He hits his head at one point and blacks out. By the time he comes to, the man has left to be replaced by another, and he's too dizzy and disoriented to fight back. 

The man gives up after a bit, clearly not interested if his victim isn't going to fight back. Noctis knows he's got a lot of broken bones - mainly in his hands and arms. Four of his fingers are turning purple - he knows that doesn't happen without good reason, and his left shoulder, from what little he can see of it, is starting to look the same. He's coughed up blood, and bitten his tongue and the inside of his cheek raw, and even his hair hurts. 

So when he initially catches the sound, he's too wrapped up in his pain to tell what it is. But it comes again, a faint shuffle of cloth, and a breeze with a smell that's comforting. Familiar. A smell he knows, as much time as he spends puttering around beside the man's hip, listening to him speak.

Noctis cracks open an eye. "nis?" he croaks. "Ignis?"

No reply. But the sound comes a third time - a wet  _gurgle,_ and then a shuffle of cloth, and then silence. No footsteps, nothing beyond those three sounds. Noctis listens intently, but eventually his head starts hurting too much, and he lays down on the cold concrete again. It could be a monster, he thinks. Maybe that's what they're going to do to him, when it's done. Feed him to a monster.

But that's not what the sound is at all, as it turns out. 

There's a jingling sound an indeterminable amount of time later, and his cell door opens, a pair of shadows standing there - a tall, slim one, and a broader one. 

"Noctis? Can you hear me?"

Noctis peels back an eye. It takes almost all his energy, and even then, he can only faintly make out the figure. "nis," he mumbles, words slurring. He's feeling really tired now, and cold too. Kind of queasy, but mainly just tired. "M'so sleepy."

"No going to sleep," Gladio's voice orders. "Not yet, Noct. C'mon now,  you need to stay awake."

Noctis wants to groan, but Gladio's never told him things that weren't important. So he forces himself to fight off the feeling of sleepiness as Ignis carefully picks him up and carries him out to the car. On his way out, Noctis sees the bodies of the men that hurt him splayed around the property, every last one of their throats slit.

 _Oh,_ he realizes.  _So that's what that sound was._

Gladio casually tosses three things over his shoulder as they pile into the car, but Noctis doesn't pay enough attention to see what it is. 

Ignis holds him the entire ride back, he and Gladio alternating between talking to him and talking to each other to keep him awake. It's a nice feeling, in the wake of everything else that's happened. It's even nicer when they get home, and Gladio takes him out of Ignis' grip and holds him as they walk to the infirmary. He always feels so safe in Gladio's hold, and it's warm too. 

He loses snatches of time here and there as the nurses and doctors fuss and hook him up to various machines. He barely feels the prick of the needles that draw blood, or the ones that slide beneath his veins to feed him fluids. 

"C'n I go sleep now?" he mumbles, once a good majority of the people in the room leave. Gladio and Ignis sit on either side of his bed, keeping eyes on the world around him. Which is good, because he can't really pay attention enough to protect himself now. 

"Yeah," Gladio says, and reaches out to push the hair out of his eyes. "Get some rest, Noct. You did good today."

"Stay?" Noctis slurs, already drifting off.

"Of course," Ignis agrees, and they're still there when he wakes four days later.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an au I'll have to write one of these days, because its a fun one, and the majority is much fluffier than this.
> 
> \- The Amicitia and Scientia clans do not automatically serve the King every new generation. They have to either be called into service by the King interested in their service, or put themselves forward as a candidate if they find the King worth their time and effort.
> 
> \- Clarus told Gladiolus to go overseas to Altissia when he was younger, after he'd already passed the family trials and proven himself a capable warrior. Gladiolus spends ten years aiding the resistance against the Empire, and helping Accordo gain some semblance of self-rule back. Clarus asks Gladio to return home nearly ten years later, when Noctis gets attacked by a Marilith, and officially needs a Shield, and Regis would prefer someone familiar. Gladio's first sight is of Noctis in physical therapy, struggling to walk again even as he cries. Noctis first memory of Gladio is the older man encouraging him in trying to walk again.
> 
> \- Ignis comes later down the line, having been traveling the world mastering various cooking arts after the loss of his eyesight following an attack on his family manor. He is the last known Scientia outside of Altissia, where he has a vast majority of aunts and uncles in the political world that keep him up to date, and teach him how to overcome his blindness. He and Gladio meet several times during this period, and start a friendship. He's formally requested as Noctis' adviser and retainer when Noctis turns ten, and certain people Regis would rather not have influence over his son start pestering him for the position. 
> 
> \- Ignis doesn't initially say yes, but Gladio talks him around to the idea, and starts pushing him and Noctis together for some quiet time together, and it's a combination of Noctis' quiet despair and uncertainty towards the future and Gladio's presence that has him saying yes. The two men stumble into bed together not long after that, and from there it's pretty much a downhill slide.
> 
> \- Prompto ends up being discovered by Noctis sometime when he's fifteen, and they're visiting the Empire to speak on terms of peace. Prompto's attempting an escape and runs right into Noctis', who's looking for a bathroom. Noctis ends up hiding him and taking him back to Insomnia, where he's found out by Ignis and Gladio. Noctis refuses to let Prompto be turned into a metal man, Prompto's scared out of his mind, and neither one of the adults can talk Noctis around, so they sort of end up keeping him and adopting him into their weird little family. 
> 
> \- There's a running joke around the Citadel about how Ignis and Gladio are obviously married and Prompto and Noctis are their kids, but it's a joke that never gets back to either of the four because everyone knows Gladio and Ignis will gladly gut anyone who insinuates Prompto and Noctis are unable to take care of themselves.
> 
> \- Cor accidentally gets dragged in on it when he formally adopts Prompto, and gets called "Uncle Cor" by one of the cheekier Glaives.


End file.
